A Fire spirits rekindling!

Curses

The door creaked as it slid open, only a blonde came.

Thatch assumed that it was Ace at first, but it was his brother. Though, Thatch was correct to assume Ace had been with Sabo. He knew Ace was with him as soon as Sabo started to talk to empty air.

"Why continue? Why not stay in one place, you know?" Thatch asked with a blank expression. Out of all his brothers, he was the best with emotions, doesn't make him the feelings expert unfortunately. Ace frowned at the thought. "Before I really knew anything that was my plan." Ace admitted with a sigh. Thatch didn't look up from the cutting board but the knocks of his knife hitting the board ceased.

"What changed?" Thatch finally asked. He was genuinely curious, but after a while... Thatch started to craft his questions more carefully.

Thatch held his head in his hand, holding back an obnoxious sigh. He knows that Ace doesn't hold it against him, asking questions he honestly should have never asked in the first place, but nothing is going to keep him from feeling guilty about it. I mean... Who just outright asks how someone died? It's basically the same thing as asking someone how a loved one died, insensitive.

Before he knew it Ace was in front of him. Ace's eyebrows furrowed as he saw no reaction from Thatch, it wasn't until Thatch jumped that Ace concluded he was probably spacing out.

"How much longer will you guys be here?" Ace asked again. Thatch was silent before he responded. "For a couple of days, we need to restock and doing it here would be for the best." Ace nodded going silent as well. It wasn't until around a minute later that Ace spoke again.

"I want to go around, see what this place has to offer." Thatch grinned, "The places around here are pretty good." Ace nodded, "So I've heard." Thatch regarded Ace silently, "Thought you've been here before?" Ace nodded slowly, "It was under different circumstances at the time, it wasn't some tourist visit." Thatch frowned but didn't pry any further.

Thatch didn't say anything as Ace left.

Marco could tell that Thatch was upset that Ace was leaving. He was upset too, he likes having Ace around, Ace is silent when you need him to be. On the other hand even if he doesn't really know much about the world itself, he seems to know what to say when you need to hear it.

But something is bothering him, well more specifically it bothers him that Thatch is bothered by something. Not only is that worrying by itself, it's the fact Thatch isn't saying anything about it, he's not blabbing about whatever it is that's bothering him.

The thing about Thatch is that when he has something to complain about, he will complain about it. It's honestly extremely annoying, but now he wishes Thatch would blab about whatever is bothering him.

Marco turned his head and watched as Ace closed the door behind him. Marco started weaving himself through the crowd of pirates and Fish-men to try and get to Thatch but the Chief of Staff himself beat him to it.

Marco frowned, what did the Chief of Staff need from Thatch?

Thatch himself, was just as confused as the blonde appeared in front of him.

"I want to talk to you." Sabo said with a smile. Thatch frowned, "Why not talk to Marco or something?" Sabo cocked his head before he shook it. "Ah there seems to be a misunderstanding... I'm talking to you as Sabo, Ace's brother, not as the Chief of staff." Suddenly something clicked inside of his head, Thatch nodded in response. "Ok."

It doesn't matter if this is a chat about Ace or something along those lines, he is still talking to the literal chief of staff.

Sabo beckoned Thatch to follow him, Thatch stood up to follow, but spoke along the way. "It needs to be private? Someone's going to see me walking away with you, you know." Sabo looked slightly over his shoulder before he turned to look straight ahead again.